Paper machines, particularly machines making tissue paper such as toilet tissue, facial tissue, and paper towels, create substantial amounts of dust. Dust and other particulates gets carried in the boundary layer of a moving web but gets dislodged when the web is disturbed or changes directions. Dislodged dust that accumulates on the machinery can interfere with correct operation, lead to product quality problems in some circumstances, and can hinder or require maintenance. Additionally dust that is transferred into the air can also represent a fire hazard, and its inhalation can cause health problems for workers.
Much effort has been directed to the development of dust hoods for vacuuming dust laden air from parts of such machines. However, such devices are themselves imperfect in operation and can require substantial power consumption as well as being the source of noise.
One problem with methods involving vacuum applied to the web surface is that the vacuum, in addition to removing airborne fibers can partially dislodge fibers in the web, creating loose or loosened fibers which then can become airborne downstream from the vacuum area.
There is thus a continuing need for a method and apparatus for removing dust in a power-efficient, environmentally friendly manner.